Improvement in the construction of buildings



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" ALEXANDER 'MCrHnnsoN or sANfrA ciauz, CALIFORNIA.

,i p Letters Patent No. 97,948, dated December 14, 1869.

`IMPROVEMENT IN` THE CONSTRUCTION OIE' IBl'JIIaIiIll'C-i-S.v V

The Schedule referred 'to in these Letters Patenty and making part-of the same.

, Toall 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER McPnnasoN, of Santa Cruz., county of Santa Cruz, State otiGalifornia, have invented anlmproved 'Construction of Stone, Brick, and Adobe Buildings and I dohereby declare the Afollowing description and accompanying drawings are suiiicient to enable any person 'skilled inthe art or science to whichV it most nearly appertains, to make and use my said invention or improvements without further invention or experiment.

My improvements relate ,to the construction of i stone, brick, adobe, and other buildings,`,in which mortar is used for binding together the materialof which the walls are composed; and Y l It consists in placing between the courses of brick, stoneror other material, `at regular or irregular intervals, according to the nature of the wall, layers of has to bindthe wall in everyfconceivable direction.

It also vconsists in placing these laths, strips' of wood, or thin metal, vertically in the masonry of the wall, so as to bind it in the opposite direction, and by this'y means render the walls strong and substantial, and proof against shocksof earthquakegf In order to morefully illustrate andv describe my ings, forming `a part of this specification, in which-'- A, B, and O, show my manner of binding together the foundation, ,i l v D,`E, F, and G, show my method of placing the lathsto bind the'walls together. l

In beginning to construct a building of' any of the `materials above described, I lirst commence by laying a broad foundatiomA, in order that the subsequent Walls may have a firm hold upon the ground, and be braced against becoming crei-balanced at the top.

After laying several courses of the brick or stone, I place lath,- strips of wood, or thin strips of metal, a, longitudinally with `the wall.

I prefer common plasterers laths,- as i they will an `swer every purpose, and can be obtained at a small cost. `When `Iuse these laths, I preserve them fromi inside line 'of this wall,

The ends of the laths which are laid upon the op-v posite wall, or wall which stands at right angles to the ,lath, strips of wood, or thin metal, in sucha manner invention, referenceis hadto the accompanying draw-- tance, so as'to cause the walls to become of less thickness, as they rise. y

After several courses of' brick have been placed upon the lower part of the foundation, I then lay in mortar another course of lath, as shown at B, so as to cross the wall diagonally to the direction of the laths on A, the angle formed '.by the intersection of the walls being bound together by laths laid atanangle to the sides. A

A third series of brick courses is then laid, tapering, as above described, upon which I place the laths diagonallyl across the wall, shown at (l, their direction being angularly across the laths upon the series B.

This operation is continued in the same manner, until the foundation is completed, when I begin ythe regular wall of the building, which is built as above described, of several courses of brick-laid upon the ibundation, and upon which said laths are placed rst,

. as shown at D, in which the laths are laid longitndinallywith theiwall, those upon one wall extending entirely-across. the angle formed by the intersection of the two walls.

After another series of brick courses, I again apply the laths longitudinally, extending then entirely across the angle on the .side opposite to that in which they were extended in D, thus allowing them to cross one another at rightangles at the corners.

Another series of brick courses, and I apply the laths diagonally across the wall, as at F, and in the next'upper course of laths, I also apply them diagonally to the wall, but extending across in an opposite direction to those on F, in the manner shown at Gr. p

In thismanner the walls of a building can beso firmly bound together and tied, that it cannot be injured by even the most violent upheaval of the earth.

In order to keep the walls from being moved sidewise from theirposition, that is, to prevent the result which would be caused by a sudden jerking of the earth, and which is Vusually found tobe a movement of the upper part ofthe wall in one direction, and the lower part in another, I place between the bricks, at irregular intervals, upright laths or strips, or rods of metal, around which I place the brick-Work. These vertical laths serve to bind the'wall, and prevent its parting from any cause.

Walls laid and bound together in this manner can be built at the same cost as walls constructed in the ordinary manner, of brick] stone, concrete, or adobe, while their value will be greatly in advance, especially in countries subject to earthquakes.

' Having thus described my invention,

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent, is

Binding together the dierent parts of foundations und walls of brick, stone, concrete, adobe, or other- 

